Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Vengeful. Mściwi

I took so long to finish this because I didn’t want it to end. V.E. Schwab crafted a LITERAL MASTERPIECE like the metaphors, the anecdotes, THE CHARACTERS!! She has somehow woven such beautiful backstories for all of them it reminds me of Daredevil/Luke Cage in the way that you can’t truly hate the villains when they have such clear motives and pain in their past. I will not be able to shut up about this universe so I’m sorry in advance :( would do anything for a book 3

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stardustvein's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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artmuseam's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

what can i say? ve schwab has done it again. if i have to be honest, the second book was somehow even more enthralling and twisted than the first one. i loved the new characters we were introduced to and the way that both new and remaining characters were intertwined was so well done! the fast-paced action and constant suspense made it so difficult for me to put down this book. i can’t get enough of this!! 5/5 stars <3

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mxdegroot's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I. NEED. THE. NEXT. BOOK.

Schwab never fails to pull me into a book and not let me go before I've finished it. Her pacing is gripping and well-balanced and her writing adds to the tension. You'd expect that a long book consisting of short chapters, perspective changes and time jumps would be very confusing, but to me, it was very easy to follow. The fact that the reader gets left on a character cliffhanger for roughly fifty pages every once in a while and then gets thrown back into their story after another character cliffhanger adds amazingly to the tension. By the end of longer chapters, I sometimes forgot where in the timeline I was, but they're always stated in the chapter title, so all you have to do is just flip back and your memory is refreshed.

I was so happy that we finally got full insight into Eli's backstory. The mystery worked well in the first book, but knowing his history gave the character a whole new dimension and made him ten times more scary/unhinged than he already was.

I have to be honest and admit that June's character arc disappointed me a little. She's not a flat character; we get hinted at her backstory a lot. However, we never really know what happened to her and her exact motivations for doing what she did.

It's been a few years since this book came out, but I hope Storygraph's information is true and there is a new book coming, because this story feels anything but complete to me; there's a difference between an open ending and an incomplete one, and this was the latter. I want to know more about Victor's history and motivations, what happens to him after the book, where Sydney and Mitch are going, June's backstory, and so many more things.

January 2nd, 2024 - January 5th, 2024.

“Gods [were] crucified before they were worshipped.”

“While seeking revenge, dig two graves—one for yourself.”

“Run, thought Victor, and he could see the response in Eli's coiled frame.
Chase me.”

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bkc's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Rating: 4.25/5

The book kept me interested throughout. I was gripped immediately and wanted to keep reading. With Vicious, I was often bored, but the pacing of Vengeful was much better. I was often thinking about how well the plot weaved together.

Usually, I don't enjoy the way Victoria writes as it's slow and flowery, even though her characters and plot are incredible. I've also seen many reviews complaining that the book should have been split into two. For me, having the story in one meant that I didn't have to dwell on the perspectives of characters I didn't like and the pacing improved, so I preferred it as it was.

Victor was still my favourite character and I absolutely loved him in this book.

I just wish he understood that he deserved a family too. It's good to know that Sydney will always be able to find him. He was followed closely by Marcella. I wanted her to get justice and was relieved that she did so early on in the book. Despite her flaws, I really felt for her and wanted her to achieve her goals. Yet, I disliked June. Her obsession with Sydney was understandable, but the stalking and kidnapping was a step too far. Her power was cool though.

Back at EON HQ, Eli got hit by karma and it was quite satisfying. It was also nice reading about his background, though I almost felt bad for him. Almost. Furthermore, it was quite poetic that Sydney was the one that kill him, given how much he haunted her nightmares.

I didn't really have strong opinions about anyone else, and it was clear who was a "hero" and who was a "villain".

Generally, I liked that there were multiple points-of-view and that I got to read multiple perspectives of the same events, so I wasn't missing anything. Despite the Villains series supposedly being a duology, I don't feel like the story is concluded and will patiently await the inevitable next book.

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